QTIC's Queensland Top Tourism Town Awards celebrate our state's diverse and outstanding regional destinations. The Awards recognise and reward towns that work together with their tourism operators, businesses and local community to make their destination the best it can be.
Top Tourism Town Award categories
In 2024, there are three hotly contested award categories, presented to three Queensland destinations based on population size:
Top Tiny Tourism Town - population under 1,500
Top Small Tourism Town - population between 1,500 and 5,000
Top Tourism Town - population over 5,000
Top Tour Guide Award
QTIC's Queensland Top Tour Guide Award celebrates the significant contribution quality tour guides make in our great state. The Award recognises guides that provide a special, distinctive, and memorable experience for visitors.
Nominating
Who can nominate?
Top Tourism Town Award
Visitor Information Centres and Local Councils can nominate a destination for the Top Tourism Town Awards. We encourage nominees to work with their Regional Tourism Organisation, Local Tourism Organisation, or a committed group of local operators.
You can learn more about the nominating process by downloading our Entrant Guidebook.
Top Tour Guide Award
Businesses that are accredited through the Queensland Tourism Accredited Business program can nominate a tour guide or coach captain. If your business is not accredited and you'd like to nominate someone outstanding for the Top Tour Guide Award, your business will need to become accredited by close of nominations.
You can learn more about the nominating process by downloading our Entrant Guidebook.
Meet the 2024 award winners
There’s more than meets the eye in Roma – Come and visit and let us reveal the treasures of the Maranoa. Just a half-day drive from Brisbane, Roma is nestled in the heart of the Maranoa region of Southwest Queensland and is uniquely positioned where country meets the outback.Surrounded by sweeping plains and boundless skies, Roma gives you a taste of the Outback – along with the charm and character of country life. With rich natural and social history, Roma is home to the iconic Roma Saleyards, Australia’s largest cattle-selling facility, The Big Rig Oil and Gas interpretive Centre, and family-favourite Easter in the Country Festival.
Airlie Beach is the Heart of Adventure, known for its stunning scenery, vibrant town centre and action-packed activities. To one side, the coastline is bordered by the Great Barrier Reef and Whitsunday Islands, offering stunning views of the Coral Sea and to the other, the rich, rainforest-clad hills of the Conway National Park. The town offers a range of activities for visitors, from sailing and snorkelling to hiking and shopping. Airlie Beach also boasts a lively bar and restaurant scene, with plenty of options to enjoy a night out with friends or family.
Winton takes you back to Australia’s roots, 1,400 kilometers north-west of Brisbane in Outback Queensland. The ‘Way Out West’ town is the Dinosaur Capital of Australia, home of Waltzing Matilda and the birthplace of Qantas. The small town continues to steal the hearts of travellers in Australia’s outback for its larrikin-like character, flavoured by agricultural ties, surrounding opal mines and grand old pubs.
Adam Hinks' passion for storytelling fills guests with a sense of wonderment and a deep appreciation for Queensland's picturesque Magnetic Island, where he provides tours of the stunning coastline. Adam's commitment to tourism has seen him presented with the 2024 Queensland Top Tour Guide Award.